Drawing instruments



United States Patent O 3,239,936 DRAWING INSTRUMENTS Hermann F. Hesse, 665 th St., Secaucus, NJ. Filed July 17, 1961, Ser. No. 124,410 2 Claims. (Cl. 33-32) This invention relates to drawing instruments and, more specically, to a multi-purpose drawing set permitting a number of drawing functions.

One of the objects of the invention is a longitudinal ruler having attached thereto in an appropriately shaped groove a slider for guiding the drawing of straight lines in accordance with scales arranged on the ruler.

Another object of the invention is a ruler having attached thereto pivotable drawing arms adapted to assume two positions, an operativel one in which the two arms extend perpendicular to the ruler to permit drawing of perpendicular lines and a parallel position in which the arms are inoperative.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ruler having a parallel ruler slidably attached thereto on arms extending substantially perpendicular to the ruler, and preferably rotatably attached thereto.

A further object of the invention is a longitudinally shaped ruler having a centrally located longitudinal groove extending therethrough, and a slot at the bottom of the groove to permit the guiding of straight lines parallel to the ruler and in accordance with scales arranged on the ruler at both sides of the groove.

A more specic object of the invention is to support on perpendicular arms of a ruler provided with a longitudinal slider, a second ruler movable on these arms, in a direction parallel to the slider movement to permit the drawing of parallel lines and also to serve as a compass.

Still `another object of the invention is to provide the main ruler in the form of a calculating slide rule, in which the longitudinal groove is adapted to receive the tongue of the slide rule and in which the base of the slide rule is equipped with pivotable arms adapted to assume .two positions, an inoperative position in which the arms are arranged parallel to the slide rule and an operative position in which the arms are arranged perpendicular to the slide rule, whereby these arms serve to support a ruler slidable thereon in positions parallel to the slide rule.

These and other objects of the invention will be more fully apparent from the drawings annexed herewith in which FIG. 1 represents a multi-purpose drawing set ernbodying certain principles of the invention, in a top elevation view.

FIG. 2 represents a corresponding side view in cross section along lines 2 2 of FIG. 1 showing additional drawing arms of the set in inoperative position.

FIG. 3 represents the same side view with the drawing arms in operative position.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation in cross section along lines 4-4 of FIG. 1 another side view of the drawing set with the drawing arms in inoperative position.

FIG. 5 shows schematically the slider of the ruler shown in FIG. 1 in a cross sectional side View corresponding to FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a modification of the invention in a view corresponding to the pictorial schematic representation of FIG. 4 in which the main ruler is in the form of a calculating slide rule.

According to FIGS. 1 and 4, a multi-purpose drawing set according to the invention may include a main ruler 1 consisting of a base portion 2 provided with a triangular groove 3 anked by two elevated side arms 4, 5 adapted to receive scales 6, 7 or any other desired number of any desired configuration.

Groove 3 is provided with a bottom slot 8 adapted ICC to receive a pencil or pen point and permitting to draw or to trace a straight line of any desired length according to scales 6, 7.

Such tracing is eifected in cooperation with slider 9, also shown in FIG. 5, having an opening 10 and provided with arrows 11, 12 to permit placing of the pencil or pen point into slot 8 and exactly to establish the longitudinal position of the lines to be traced as determined by scales 6, 7.

The movement of slider 9 along base 2 is guided by Yhooks 13, 14 formed with or attached to slider 9 and iitting glidingly in corresponding grooves 15, 16 of arms 4, 5 of ruler base 2.

Also attached to base 2, for example as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, to its arm 5, are a pair of side rulers 17, 18. Each side ruler 17, 18 is provided with a pair of scales of any desired configuration, as schematically indicated in FIG. l at 19, 20 and 21, 22 respectively. Side rulers 17, 18 are arranged pivotably on arm 5 of ruler base 2 Iabout axes schematically indicated at 23, 24 respectively. As a result, side rulers 17, 18 may assume several angular positions with respect to ruler base 2: for example an operative position shown in FIGS. l and 2 in which side rulers 17, 18 extend perpendicularly to ruler base 2. In another relatively inoperative position, side rulers 17, 18 are folded back tting into slot 5 of ruler base 2 or rather its side arm 5. In its inoperative and rest' position, of course, main ruler 1 can be used like any other ruler.

In the operative position of main ruler 1 or in the perpendicular position of side rulers 17, 18 these side rulers may serve as guide rails of a fourth or parallel ruler 26, which is also shown schematically in its end position at 27.

Parallel ruler 26 may also be provided with any desired scale or scales, for example with two sets of angular lines schematically indicated at 28, 29 permitting the parallel ruler 26 to be used as compass in cooperation with pivot points 23, 24.

In the modification of FIG. 6, `a rule 30' which may be used as a calculating slide rule having appropriate scales is slidably guided by the same type of slot and groove arrangement used in FIG. 1. A slide 31 is used in this arrangement.

The structure illustrated in FIGS. l to 4 can be operated in the following manner:

(l) A straight edge.-Two arms extending at right angles from each extremity of the ruler.

(2) A protractor.-The point of intersection of the straight edge and the two extending arms is the center of the protractor, the graduations of which appear in degrees on the straight edge which runs parallel to the ruled straight edge (the graduations are accurate only when this bar rests close to the ruled straight edge-l/g inch).

(3) Parallel rule-Two thumb screws form the shafts which connect the arms to the ruled straight edge. These thumb screws are pointed for the purpose of securing the drawing set to the drawing. Thus secured the parallel rule can be moved any measured distance from the ruled straight edge according to the graduations on the arm.

(4) A divider mien- A given measurement between two points on a line can be transferred to another line by using the divider ruler in the same way as with the use of a compass. The radius of arches or complete circles would only be limited by the length of the divider ruler being used. The radius is determined by measuring from the xed point at Oline to the hole in the middle of the transparent slide. Arrows on either side of the slide indicate the accurate meausrement in either inches or centimeters.

It can be used in conjunction with a straight edge for drawing parallel horizontal lines by putting the Oend of the divider ruler against the straight edge and measuring off the required distance with the aid of the transparent slide. A pencil (or ballpont pen) is inserted in the hole of the transparent slide and the entire instrument is moved along the straight edge.

(5) A common nden- Besides its normal use it also enables the user to read olf comparisons from (fractions of) inches to centimers and/or millimeters with the help of the transparent slide. With a different (decimated) graduation it also can be used as a map scale and may compass-2 inches to the mile and 4 inches to the mile.

The combination of compass and ruler can be used by students of mechanical or architectural drawing and science subjects requiring algebraical drawings, lettering, sign paintings requiring the sketching of straight lines and circles. It should be of interest to carpenters, cabinet makers, sheetmetal workers and other trades which use hasty sketches and layouts. Oce uses include preparing columnar sheets of particular interest to the business involved and drawing on stencils.

It can be made of Plexiglas or Lucite plastic or similar transparent material of suitable strength.

These and other modifications of the invention, while changing certain elements, their arrangement, functions and dimensions .are still regarded as Within the scope of the present disclosure.

I claim:

1. A multi-purpose drawing set comprising a longitudinal main ruler having a groove extending therethrough flanked by two parallel side arms carrying scales in a substantially common plane, and a slider arranged to slide along said groove, both said groove and said slider being of mutually engaging and similar V-shaped cross sections, a side ruler pivotally attached to each opposite end of said longitudinal ruler and capable of assuming two positions, an extended position in which each of the side ruler projects substantially perpendicular to the direction of said main ruler, and a collapsed position in which the side rulers extend substantially parallel to said main ruler, a longitudinal slot on the bottom of said groove permitting straight line tracing therethrough, a slider arranged to be movable over and along said groove and having a central opening aligned with said slot, and a fourth ruler arranged slidably on said side rulers when in operative position in a direction substantially parallel to said main ruler, said fourth ruler being provided with at least one compass scale to cooperate with predetermined center points.

2. A drawing instrument including an elongated rule having a slit intermediate its edges extending longitudinally thereof, an upper surface with a V-shaped center recess extending longitudinally thereof, the vertex of the V coinciding with the slit, and scales on said edges extending the length of the slit, a slider having a V-shaped under surface and parallel V-shaped upper surface adapted to ride in the center recess of the rule, said slider having an opening communicating with the slit, and an index opposite the opening in coopeartive relation with the scales.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 368,995 8/1887 Dailey et al 33--108 X 827,233 7/1906 Gould 33-108 X 987,120 3/1911 Dillon 33-116 X 1,808,705 6/1931 Owen 33-27 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,584 1/1894 Great Britain. 465,568 9/1951 Italy.

ISAAC LISANN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MULTI-PURPOSE DRAWING SET COMPRISING A LONGITUDINAL MAIN RULER HAVING A GROOVE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FLANKED BY TWO PARALLEL SIDE ARMS CARRYING SCALES IN A SUBSTANTIALLY COMMON PLANE, AND A SLIDER ARRANGED TO SLIDE ALONG SAID GROOVE, BOTH SAID GROOVE AND SAID SLIDER BEING OF MUTUALLY ENGAGING AND SIMILAR V-SHAPED CROSS SECTIONS, A SIDE RULER PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO EACH OPPOSITE END OF SAID LONGITUDINAL RULER AND CAPABLE OF ASSUMING TWO POSITIONS, AN EXTENDED POSITION IN WHICH EACH OF THE SIDE RULER PROJECTS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID MAIN RULER, AND A COLLAPSED POSITION IN WHICH THE SIDE RULERS EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID MAIN RULER, A LONGITUDINAL SLOT ON THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVE PERMITTING 